Improved vaouum-appakatus



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Letters Patent No. 81,488, dated August 25, 1868.

IMPROVED A VACUUM-APPARATUS.

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To ALL WI-IoM 1T MAY conocen: t

Be it knownthat I, THEOPHILUS FRAVEL, of Westville, in the county of LaPorte, and State of Indiana,

have invented a new and useful Improved Equalizer or Vacuum-Apparatusfor treating disease; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear', and exact description of the same, reference being had tothe annexed drawings, making part of this specification, inwl1ieh vFigure 1 is a perspective view of the receptacle, withv the cover ordoor thrown back, so as to show a portion of the internal arrangement of the device, and y v Figure 2 is an elevation, in section, showing theseat upon which the patient sits while receiving treatment, the aperturethrough the ldoor through which the head is passed, thev cape whichcloses around the neck for excluding the air, and the pipe through whichthe air is exhausted from the apparatus by means of anA air-pump.

Similarletters of referencedenote identical parts in both figures.

My invention relates to that class of apparatus which is used intreating disease while the patientis wholly or partially within areceptacle from which the air has been exhausted, and it consists in animprovement upon existing devices for this purpose, as will appear fromthe following description and claims.

A isthe portion of the. apparatusmwhich extends below the level of theseat, and which may be termed the pit, or' that part occupied by thefeet.-

B is the body of the apparatus, and contains Vthe seat upon which thepatient sits, and which receives the cover or door,`which closesair-tight u'pon it. i

C is the door, hinged to the upper back portionof thc part B by hingesF, so arranged that, as the door is closed down, they shall press thecover tight upon the part B, the upper face of which is covered withrubber or i some other suitable packing, as is also theV correspondingface of the door, so that, through the action of the hinges and thescrews in the lower end of said door, which pass through it and entersuitable `threads in the Y part B, thc-joint between said parts isrendered perfectly air-tight, l K

D is the rest, arranged-'within the part B in such a manner that as theoccupant is seated thereon,fhis feet Vrest upon the bottom of the partA, and his headipasses up through the aperture in the door G.

vE are supportsor legs, placed under the rear'portion ofthe seat D, forthe purpose of supporting the same and keeping the apparatus in a properposition. l i

F shows the hinges Vby which the door is attached to the part B, asabove described.

G is the cover or door, above described.

H is the cape, composed ot' thin rubber cloth, or other suitablematerial, which is caused to fit tightly around the neck by beingsurmounted by a band of the same material, of from two to two andone-halt' inches in width.

The cape entends from the band about six inches in all directions aroundthe neck, and is cemented thereto by the use of any of the'well-knowncompositions used forsuch purposes.

p Theouter edge of the cape is cemented in like manner to a straightVpiece of rubber cloth, united at the endsvand very muchstretched tocause it to fold tightly under the flange of the rim, which surroundsthe apert'ure through which the head passes in the door of theapparatus. i v.

I is any suitable attachment, secured-to thevlowerrear portion of theapparatus,`having an aperture through it which extends through the wallofthe device, immediately opposite the aperture in the attachment, forallowing the air to be exhausted from within, when the pump is appliedto that purpose. y

K is a flexible. hose, secured to the attachment I in any ordinarymanner; and which may lead to an airpump, which pump, when operated,will, through said hose, cause a vacuum to be vformed within theapparatus.

Itis apparentA that the device may bemade of iron, or wood, or any othersuitable material, and that the seat and portion against which the backof the patient rests, may becovered with any suitable material andstuil'cd, as shown in tig, 1 of the drawings, so as tomake a verycomfortable seat, and thus relieve this device from one very seriousobjection which exists in these devices as usually constructed.

Some of the advantages due to the improved construction and arrangementadopted by me are, first, owing to its peculiar arrangement the spacewithin it is very much reduced, so that a much less amount of labor isrequired to exhaust the air therefrom, and, as a consequence, in casesof emergency, it can be accomplished in much less time; secondly, itcosts less-than any other device of the kind with which I am acquainted,and, when constructed of wood, is lighter and more portable than thosenow in use.

The operation of this device will be apparent without furtherdescription.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The censtruction of the cape H, and the manner of fastening it to thedoor or cover of the apparatus, substantially as shown and described.

2. The construction and arrangement o'f the pit A, seat D, door G, withlits aperture for the neck, an exhaust-aperture I, all substantially asshown and described.

In testimony whereof, I have 'signed my name to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THEOPHILUS FRAVEL. Witnesses:

ABM. FMVEL, A. G, STANDIFORD, M. D.

